Friday Nationwide Practice, Live From Loudon by Kellyanne Lynch 27 June 2008 David Reutimann ranked 6th in the Aaron's Dream Machine in first practice today at Loudon, in preparation for tomorrow's Nationwide Series race. His twenty-first of twenty-eight laps was his fastest - a 30.475 second lap at 124.981 MPH. He was 0.405 seconds slower than session leader Clint Bowyer. "Coming to ya," crew chief Jerry Baxter told the spotter at 10:31am. "Yeah, I got him," the reply came. It did not sound like David's usual spotter, cousin Shawn Reutimann. "Goodyear will be right to your right right there, last pit stall," Jerry said. "10-4," was David's reply. "All right, get you a hole there. Everyone's about spread out there. Big hole there. All clear. Clear by 15," the spotter guided. "All clear." "31.26," Jerry read off lap times. "Clear, clear." "31 flat. Oil pressure when you get a chance." David did not respond with oil pressure readings. "30.80," Jerry continued. "30.60. You're going great speeds. "75." "Slow car ahead on the bottom," warned the spotter. "All clear." "And a 65. If you're good, get an oil temp there." When David gave it, Jerry told him to come in for a tire sheet. "Dave, I know it's early on." "It just seems okay, bud," David told his crew chief. He said the entry was okay but that he would like it to turn better in the centre. "Not bad, but scrubs off speed. No major changes. Maybe jimmy it a little bit." Jerry asked about grip, and David said it was good on exit. It was good getting in but free off. Jerry said he'd talk more with David when he came in. "You're all clear. Coming to you, guys." the spotter said. David went back to the garage at 10:39am, after getting a tire sheet. "Come on, come on," Jerry guided. "Sounds like it scrapes a valve there, Frankie," David said to a crew member. He said the brakes were good when asked. "Coming to ya, Rubbin," it sounded like David said to the spotter. "10-4." The spotter said the #2 car of Clint Bowyer was the fastest at the moment. "10-4," David replied. He was on track at 10:45am. The spotter cleared him past the #90 of Johnny Chapman. "85," Jerry read off lap times. "A 50. "50. "50. "All right, if you get a feel for it, let's save those tires. You did a 70 there." "Hey, bud, let's work on changing her up on throttle there off Turn 4," David suggested. "10-4," was Jerry's reply. The #99 was in at 10:50am. "Come on, come on. You got it. Whoaa! Come on," Jerry guided David into the garage. "There ain't no one around. Not going to be waiting on that." "Did we use scuffs last year in qualifying?" David asked. It sounded like Jerry said, "I think we rolled a quarter." He asked how the adjustments felt. "I think it did help the centre a little bit," David replied. He said it carried the nose better in the centre, it traveled less distance when he put the same wheel to it. He said he put more in the front but didn't cut the rear. "It seemed to float better." Jerry said they barely changed the valve. "Coming to you, Roamin'," it sounded like Jerry said. "10-4. I got ya," the spotter replied. David was on track at 10:57am. The spotter cleared him by fifteen. "88," Jerry read off lap times. "50. "55." David said, as soon as he got a little air off the nose, the car loses a lot in the centre and off too. "It's weird how you can gain and gain and gain on a car, and it just loses when you get close to a guy." He said that's probably what happened last year. "Free up?" Jerry asked. "Yeah, let's just do most of it on throttle this time," David replied. "Okay." He guided the driver back into the garage. "Come on. Come on. All good. Right here. Nice. "Hey, Dave, you can get out if you want." Jerry called for a shock adjustment and right rear spring. "Let David get out, and then put your wheel on. Nice and straight," he instructed the crew. "You don't need help getting into the race track anymore, Bob. You work there," David said at one point while in the garage. "Coming to you, Roaming," it sounded like Jerry said. "10-4," the spotter replied. David was back out at 11:10am and was cleared after Kyle Busch's #18 by half a track. "59," Jerry read off the lap time. "The 18 run an 80 in front of you. "55. "47. That's your best lap. "And a 58. All right. Let's make one more change on it, Brothah." "You want a tire sheet?" David asked. "It needs to rotate better on the exit, and it needs to rotate better in the centre." He was on pit road at 11:15am for a tire sheet. Jerry gave lap times when someone asked and said laps six and seven were really slow. The #99 went to the garage at 11:16am. "Looking good. Come on right here on the line. Looking good. Straighten up," Jerry guided. The #99 team jacked up the car to work on shocks. The spotter noted that Bowyer was running with stickers and that he'd let them know what kind of times he put down. "Yeah, he has tape on it," Jerry replied. "Yeah, I just saw the stickers on it." The spotter then gave lap times. "30.70 for the 2 car. "30.08 lap too but caught in traffic off Turn 4." "Coming to you, Rollin," it sounded like Jerry said. "10-4," the spotter replied. Someone told him to go to channel 2. David was on track at 11:22am and cleared by half. "31.40's and 60's. He's way off the pace. All clear. All clear," the spotter said of another car. "80," Jerry read off the lap times. "Clear." "50." "Clear." "And a 59. You get a read there?" "Yeah. 10-4. Does the 33 consistently run in the 30's, or what's he doing?" David asked. Jerry said the last lap was a 90. "Do you want a tire sheet or no?" "No." David was in the garage at 11:26am. "Looking good. Come on, come on," Jerry guided him to the garage. "Right still feel good?" "10-4." "Not that, Jennifer," somebody said. "Hey, Rollin, we're all done for the day. Thank you very much," it sounded like Jerry said. "Got one in the wall off of 4," the spotter observed. "Who is it? "0. Nothing spectacular." The yellow flag came out at 11:30am. Two crew members talked on the radio next. "How about old Reut on that curvy stuff?" somebody asked. Another person laughed. "The son of a gun never quits."